Table of Contents
Overview
Brief Summary
Introduction
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Succinct
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Comprehensive Description
Etymology
Wikipedia
Trusted
Nomenclatural History
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Original Description
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Original Description
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Distribution
Distribution
Jalmenus evagoras is found along the east coast of mainland Australia, ranging from Melbourne in the south to just south of Gladstone in the north, and it is common along the coast as well as on the tablelands. The dependence of J. evagoras upon the overlapping requirements of appropriate species of both host plant and attendant ant accounts in part for its extremely patchy and localized distribution (Common and Waterhouse 1981; Smiley et al. 1988; see also Jordano et al. 1992; Costa et al. 1996; Braby 2000; Eastwood et al. 2006). This patchiness is accompanied by strong site fidelity. For example, at one field site in Mt Nebo, Queensland, 74 out of 80 marked individuals were observed almost daily for their entire estimated adult lifespans (3.1 ± 3.5 days for females and 6.9 ± 5.9 days for males; Mean ± SD) (Elgar and Pierce 1988).
Information sourced from:
Pierce, N. E. and Nash, D. R. 1999. The Imperial Blue, Jalmenus evagoras (Lycaenidae). In: Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 6. Biology of Australian Butterflies (eds. R. L. Kitching, E. Scheermeyer, R. E. Jones and N. E. Pierce) pp. 279-315. CSIRO, Melbourne.
References cited:
Braby, M. F. 2000. Butterflies of Australia: Their Identification, Biology and Distribution. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Common, I.F.B. and Waterhouse, D.F. 1981. Butterflies of Australia, 2nd ed., xiv + 682 pp. Angus and Robertson, Sydney.
Costa, J. T., McDonald, J. H. and Pierce, N. E. 1996. The effect of ant associations on the population genetics of the Australian butterfly Jalmenus evagoras (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 58: 287-306.
Eastwood, R., Pierce, N. E., Kitching, R. L., and Hughes, J. M. 2006. Do ants enhance diversification in lycaenid butterflies? Phylogeographic evidence from a model myrmecophile, Jalmenus evagoras. Evolution 60(2): 315-327.
Elgar, M. A. and Pierce, N. E. 1988. Mating success and fecundity in an ant-tended lycaenid butterfly. Pages 59-75 in Reproductive Success: Studies of Selection and Adaptation in Contrasting Breeding Systems (T. H. CluttonBrock, ed.). University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Jordano, D., Rodriguez, J., Thomas, C.D., and Haeger, J.F. (1992) The distribution and density of a lycaenid butterfly in relation to Lasius ants. Oecologia 91: 439–446.
Smiley, J. T., Atsatt, P. R. and Pierce, N. E. (1988) Local distribution of the lycaenid butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras, in response to host ants and plants. Oecologia 76: 416-422.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Physical Description
Size
Physical Description
Adult
Wingspan: male 32 mm; female 37 mm. Upperside: black, with a large pale iridescent greenish-blue central area; fore wing with a black bar at end of cell; hind wing with obscure whitish subterminal spots, two black spots near tornus each inwardly edged with orange-red, followed by a white terminal line, and termen with a long black tail at vein CuA2 and projections at M3, CuA1, and 1A+2A. Underside: ground colour yellowish-buff, with a series of narrow black spots and bands, followed by a chestnut-brown subterminal band and then a black terminal line; hind wing with tornal markings similar to upperside. The female is similar to the male but has the termen of the fore wing more rounded, the pale greenish-blue central area on the upperside of the fore wing often paler and whitish, and the abdomen broader.
Egg
0.6 mm wide; bluish-white; mandarin shaped, with a coarse reticulated pattern of square pits and ridges with short spines
Larva
Mature larvae 18 mm long, shining smoky green to black, with a yellowish-green to brown ventrolateral band, each segment with an oblique whitish dorsolateral line and a pale spot at base of each tubercule, fine marginal hairs; all tubercules with whitish median line; ventral surface pale green or brown, legs black; meso- and metathorax with paired dorsal and dorsolateral tubercules; abdominal segments 1 to 6 and 8 with paired dorsal tubercules, segments 2-6 with dorsolateral tubercules; anal plate black outlined with whitish; head black.
Pupa
13-14 mm long; shining black with junctions of segments and appendages, and veins on wings, yellowish or brownish-orange, sometimes with more extensive orange-brown markings on abdomen.
Information sourced from:
Braby, M. F. (2000) Butterflies of Australia: Their Identification, Biology and Distribution. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Ecology
Habitat
Habitat
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Associations
List of Host Plants
Mimosaceae: Acacia binervata DC.; A. dealbata Link; A. decurrens (H.L.Wendl.) Willd.; A. disparrima M.W. McDonald & Maslin; A. falcata Willd.; A. filicifolia Cheel & Welch ex Welch; A. fimbriata Cunn. ex G. Don; A. floribunda (Vent.) Willd.; A. genistifolia Link; A. implexa Benth.; A. ingramii Tind.; A. irrorata Sieber ex Spreng.; A. leiocalyx (Domin) Pendley; A. leucoclada argentifolia Tind.; A. longifolia (Andrews) Willd.; A. macradenia Benth.; A. mearnsii De Wild.; A. melanoxylon R. Br.; A. neriifolia Cunn. ex Benth.; A. parramattensis Tind.; A. penninervis Sieber ex DC.; A. polybotrya Benth.; A. pycnantha Benth.; A. rubida Cunn.; A. spectabilis Cunn. ex Benth.; A. terminalis (Salisb.) Macbr.; and has been recorded on Amyema pendula (Loranthaceae) (from Braby 2000). The conspecific J. eubulus previously considered a subspecies of J. evagoras feeds exclusively on A. harpophylla (also known as brigalow).
Information sourced from:
Braby, M. F. (2000) Butterflies of Australia: Their Identification, Biology and Distribution. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Attendant Ants
Attendant ants protect the juvenile stages of J. evagoras against predators and parasitoids, and in return, the larvae provide the ants with food rewards, secreted from specialized exocrine glands (Kitching 1983; Pierce 1983; Pierce et al. 1987). The larvae and pupae of J. evagoras associate with several different species of ants throughout their range, primarily in the genus Iridomyrmex (Eastwood et al. 2006); however, at any one location, the juvenile butterflies are usually associated with one species of ant. It is worth noting that in 1989, and again in 1991, populations of J. evagoras in northern New South Wales (near Armidale and Ebor) were unusually abundant, most likely because of early rainfall. In these years, the majority of the localized populations of J. evagoras were found associating with their usual Iridomyrmex ants as in other years. However, in a surprising number of cases, one or two trees at any given field site contained juveniles of J. evagoras casually associating with several extremely different species of ants. The situation seems to be analogous to an 'outbreak' year of a phytophagous insect, when a dramatic rise in the density of an herbivore results in the destruction of large stands of host plants (typically trees) and is often accompanied by the use of novel host taxa (Barbosa and Schultz 1987). This kind of outbreak phenomenon is significant because it suggests that the specificity seen in certain lycaenid–ant interactions may result in part from ecological forces such as competition between ant species for lycaenids. Having said this, however, the clear phylogenetic association which can be seen between certain lycaenid taxa and their associated ants nevertheless indicates that historical processes and constraints presumably imposed by the difficulty of evolving complex chemical, morphological and behavioural cues to interact with novel ant species must also play an essential role in shaping species-specific interactions.
Must acknowledge information sourced from:
Pierce, N. E. and Nash, D. R. 1999. The Imperial Blue, Jalmenus evagoras (Lycaenidae). In: Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 6. Biology of Australian Butterflies (eds. R. L. Kitching, E. Scheermeyer, R. E. Jones and N. E. Pierce) pp. 279-315. CSIRO, Melbourne.
References cited:
Barbosa P. and Schultz, J.C. (eds) 1987. Insect outbreaks. 578 pp. Academic Press, San Diego.
Eastwood, R., Pierce, N. E., Kitching, R. L., and Hughes, J. M. 2006. Do ants enhance diversification in lycaenid butterflies? Phylogeographic evidence from a model myrmecophile, Jalmenus evagoras. Evolution 60(2): 315-327.
Kitching, R. L. 1983. Myrmecophilous organs of the larva and pupa of the lycaenid butterfly Jalmenus evagoras (Donovan). Journal of Natural History 17: 471-481.
Pierce, N.E. 1983. The ecology and evolution of symbioses between lycaenid butterflies and ants. PhD thesis, Harvard University.
Pierce, N. E., Kitching, R. L., Buckley, R. C., Taylor, M. F. J. and Benbow, K. F. 1987. The costs and benefits of cooperation between the Australian lycaenid butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras, and its attendant ants. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 21: 237-248.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Host Plants
The gregarious larvae of J. evagoras consume at least 26 different species of Acacia. Eggs are laid in clusters, most often in crevices or holes in the bark, but occasionally on the leaves, stems, and in the hollow formed by the attachment of the leaf pedicel to the stem. The larvae pupate directly on the host plant, and pupae are also tended by ants. At locations in Queensland, ovipositing females often prefer the shorter, younger trees of Acacia (Elgar and Pierce 1988). However, juveniles are frequently found on considerably taller and older host plants in other locations (e.g. Braby 1988, 1998). It seems likely that the foraging behaviour of the attendant ant species influences the size of host plants chosen by females when they are laying eggs. In all cases, the foraging larvae feed preferentially on the terminal foliage of their host plants. Egg laying females use ants as cues and are more likely to lay eggs on plants that contain the attendant ants than on plants without the ants.
Information sourced from:
Pierce, N. E. and Nash, D. R. (1999) The Imperial Blue, Jalmenus evagoras (Lycaenidae). In: Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 6. Biology of Australian Butterflies (eds. R. L. Kitching, E. Scheermeyer, R. E. Jones and N. E. Pierce) pp. 279-315. CSIRO, Melbourne.
References cited:
Braby, M.F. 1988. New food plants for Jalmenus evagoras evagoras (Donovan) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Australian Entomological Magazine 15: 33-34.
Braby, M.F. 1998. Notes on the biology of some Hesperiidae and Lycaenidae (Lepdoptera) in South-eastern Australia. Victorian Naturalist 115: 4-8.
Elgar, M. A. and Pierce, N. E. 1988. Mating success and fecundity in an ant-tended lycaenid butterfly. Pages 59-75 in Reproductive Success: Studies of Selection and Adaptation in Contrasting Breeding Systems (T. H. CluttonBrock, ed.). University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Attendant Ants (List)
The primary attendant ants for J. evagoras are small black Iridomyrmex species such as: I. gracilis; I. mattiroloi; I. septentrionalis group; I. complex A sp. B; I. complex A sp. C; I. complex A sp. D (Eastwood et al. 2006). Other primary attendant ants recorded in the literature include I. anceps, I. rufoniger, I. agilis (Eastwood & Fraser 1999; Pierce & Nash 1999) but the identity of these ants needs confirmation. Under laboratory conditions, or during population expansions, J. evagoras has been recorded with Notoncus capitatus; Anonychomyrma nitidiceps; Iridomyrmes purpureus; Froggattella kirbii; Ochetellus glaber; Dolichoderus scrobitulatus, Camponotus sp.; and Papyrius nitidus (Eastwood & Fraser 1999).
References cited:
Eastwood, R. and Fraser, A. M. 1999. Associations between lycaenid butterflies and ants in Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 24: 503-537.
Eastwood, R., Pierce, N. E., Kitching, R. L., and Hughes, J. M. 2006. Do ants enhance diversification in lycaenid butterflies? Phylogeographic evidence from a model myrmecophile, Jalmenus evagoras. Evolution 60(2): 315-327.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Life History and Behavior
Behavior
Stridulation
Jalmenus evagoras larvae and pupae are also known to produce several kinds of acoustic signals by stridulation (Hill 1993; Pierce et al. 2002). The pupae possess a file and plate stridulatory organ which is similar to pupal organs found in a number of other species (Downey 1966). A set of teeth on the anterior margin of the sixth abdominal segment (the file) is scraped against a series of ridges and depressions on the fifth abdominal segment (the plate). Travassos (1997) determined that the pupae produce two types of sounds, a primary and a secondary signal. The primary signals have a higher amplitude than secondary signals and sound like a distinct ‘chirp’. He noted that less well-developed sets of teeth are also found on the anterior portions of abdominal segments 5, 7 and 8, but in each case, these lacked an opposing plate. In larvae the structure is found between abdominal segments five and six and the relative positions of the file and plate is reversed (Hill 1993). It is thought that the noise produced may act as a deterrent to predators and parasites (Downey and Allyn 1973); however, Ross (1966) and DeVries (1992) suggest that the sounds produced by pupae are used to 'call' the ants. Travassos and Pierce (2000) conducted a simple experiment wherein they occluded sound production in half of a group of J. evagoras pupae and found that calling pupae attracted and maintained a significantly higher ant guard than their silent counterparts. Thus, it appears that acoustic signalling by lycaenids plays an important role in their symbiosis with ants.
Information sourced from:
Pierce, N. E. and Nash, D. R. 1999. The Imperial Blue, Jalmenus evagoras (Lycaenidae). In: Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 6. Biology of Australian Butterflies (eds. R. L. Kitching, E. Scheermeyer, R. E. Jones and N. E. Pierce) pp. 279-315. CSIRO, Melbourne.
References cited:
DeVries, P. J. 1992. Singing caterpillars, ants and symbiosis. Scientific American 267(4): 76-82.
Downey, J.C. 1966. Sound production in pupae of Lycaenidae. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 20: 129-155.
Downey, J. C. and Allyn, A. C. 1973. Butterfly ultrastructure: 1. Sound production and associated abdominal structures in pupae of Lycaenidae and Riodinidae. Bulletin of the Allyn Museum of Entomology 14: 1-39.
Hill, C. J. 1993. The myrmecophilous organs of the butterfly Arhopala madytus Fruhstorfer (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 32: 283-288.
Pierce, N. E., Braby, M. F., Heath, A., Lohman, D. L., Mathew, J., Rand, D. B. and Travassos, M. A. 2002. The ecology and evolution of ant association in the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera). Annual Review of Entomology 47: 733-771.
Ross, G. N. 1966. Life history studies on Mexican butterflies. IV. The ecology and ethology of Anatole rossi, a myrmecophilous metalmark (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 59: 985-1004.
Travassos, M., 1997. Calling caterpillars, pulsing pupae: Vibratory communication in the Common Imperial Blue Butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Senior thesis, Harvard University.
Travassos, M. A. and Pierce, N. E. 2000. Acoustics, context and function of vibrational signalling in a lycaenid butterfly-ant mutualism. Animal Behavior 60: 13-26.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Mating
As far as is known, females of J. evagoras mate only once. Nevertheless, males routinely inspect and attempt to mate with older females that reject them by turning towards them and vigorously fluttering their wings. Given the frequency with which this behaviour is observed, it is reasonable to suspect that harassing males are sometimes successful in achieving second matings, or in finding unmated females in this manner. However, older females, as estimated from wing wear, have been observed mating on only a very few instances over all the years that the species has been studied in the field, and none of the females that has been dissected has ever contained more than one spermatophore (Hill and Pierce 1989). It seems likely that not all females are mated upon eclosion, and thus selection favors males that constantly patrol the mating status of adult females. Individual males can mate more than once, but time of eclosion, relative size and longevity are all critical components of male lifetime reproductive success (Elgar and Pierce 1988). Shortly before the emergence of the adult, a pupa of J. evagoras secretes volatile chemicals that attract males. This can be demonstrated dramatically by crushing a pupa that is about to eclose: males are attracted to alight upon fingers coated with compounds from the crushed pupa. Males cluster around pupae waiting for a female to emerge; once she has emerged the males engage in a vigorous competition for mating and it is not uncommon for a male to commence mating immediately, even before the imago has fully expanded and dried her wings (Pierce et al. 1991). But perhaps the most curious aspect of this mating display is that males do not appear to be able to distinguish between male and female pupae, and will hover about a male pupa until the adult emerges and then discover their mistake through trial and error.
Information sourced from:
Pierce, N. E. and Nash, D. R. 1999. The Imperial Blue, Jalmenus evagoras (Lycaenidae). In: Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 6. Biology of Australian Butterflies (eds. R. L. Kitching, E. Scheermeyer, R. E. Jones and N. E. Pierce) pp. 279-315. CSIRO, Melbourne.
References cited:
Elgar, M. A. and Pierce, N. E. 1988. Mating success and fecundity in an ant-tended lycaenid butterfly. Pages 59-75 in Reproductive Success: Studies of Selection and Adaptation in Contrasting Breeding Systems (T. H. CluttonBrock, ed.). University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Hill, C. J. and Pierce, N. E. 1989. The effect of adult diet on the biology of butterflies 1. The common imperial blue, Jalmenus evagoras. Oecologia 81: 249-257.
Pierce, N.E., Nash, D.R., Baylis, M., and Carper, E.R. 1991. Variation in the attractiveness of lycaenid butterfly larvae to ants. Pp. 131–143. In: Cutler, D. and Huxley, C. (eds) Ant–plant interactions. xviii + 601 pp. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Cyclicity
Phenology
Jalmenus evagoras is multivoltine, with two broods commonly found in the south, and three or four in the north. Overwintering occurs in the egg stage. Males and females show little sexual dimorphism in wing colour or pattern. However, female pupae are larger than male pupae, and adult females can be as much as 60% heavier than adult males. For example, at a field site in Mt Nebo,Queensland, females weighed 72.2 ± 30.4 mg (Mean ± SD; N = 42), whereas males weighed only 45.7 ± 17.3 mg (N = 52 ) (Elgar and Pierce 1988). The species is protandrous, with males eclosing several days before females. The sex ratio of individuals raised from eggs in the laboratory is 50:50 (N.E. Pierce, unpublished observations). However, because of protandry and the considerable difference in male and female survivorship, the effective sex ratio in the field is usually strongly male biased (Elgar and Pierce 1988; Costa et al. 1996). Adult J. evagoras fly from late October or November to April, while immature stages are most common in October and early February near Sydney. Eggs laid towards the end of the season, from late summer onwards, remain dormant over winter, hatching in the following spring. Eggs laid by adults of the spring generation hatch relatively quickly and produce the second generation of aduls in about two months. In captivity at 28ºC, larval development on average takes four weeks but may be shortened by as much as five days by the presence of the attendant ant (Pierce et al. 1987). Duration of the pupal stage under the same conditions is about seven days irrespective of ant attendance. Adults generally fly within a few metres of the ground, and usually do not venture far from the breeding areas. They readily feed from flowers, including those of Bursaria spinosa (Pittosporaceae), and it has been demonstrated that sugar in the diet of adult females significantly increases their longevity, thereby increasing their reproductive potential (Hill and Pierce 1989).
Information sourced from:
Pierce, N. E. and Nash, D. R. 1999. The Imperial Blue, Jalmenus evagoras (Lycaenidae). In: Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 6. Biology of Australian Butterflies (eds. R. L. Kitching, E. Scheermeyer, R. E. Jones and N. E. Pierce) pp. 279-315. CSIRO, Melbourne.
Braby, M. F. 2000. Butterflies of Australia: Their Identification, Biology and Distribution. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
References cited:
Costa, J. T., McDonald, J. H. and Pierce, N. E. 1996. The effect of ant associations on the population genetics of the Australian butterfly Jalmenus evagoras (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 58: 287-306.
Elgar, M. A. and Pierce, N. E. 1988. Mating success and fecundity in an ant-tended lycaenid butterfly. Pages 59-75 in Reproductive Success: Studies of Selection and Adaptation in Contrasting Breeding Systems (T. H. CluttonBrock, ed.). University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Hill, C. J. and Pierce, N. E. 1989. The effect of adult diet on the biology of butterflies 1. The common imperial blue, Jalmenus evagoras. Oecologia 81: 249-257.
Pierce, N. E., Kitching, R. L., Buckley, R. C., Taylor, M. F. J. and Benbow, K. F. 1987. The costs and benefits of cooperation between the Australian lycaenid butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras, and its attendant ants. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 21: 237-248.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Evolution and Systematics
Fossil History
Systematics or Phylogenetics
Concepts and Synonymy
Currently there are two subspecies recognised, the nominate race and J. evagoras eubulus; however, Eastwood et al. (in review) have shown that J. eubulus is a distinct species.
References cited:
Eastwood, R., Braby, M. F., Schmidt, D. and Hughes, J. M. (in review) Taxonomy, ecology, genetics and conservation status of the Pale Imperial Hairstreak Jalmenus eubulus Miskin, 1876 stat. rev. (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): a threatened butterfly from the brigalow belt. Invertebrate Systematics
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Classification
Eukaryota; Metazoa; Arthropoda; Hexapoda; Insecta; Pterygota; Neoptera; Endopterygota; Lepidoptera; Glossata; Ditrysia; Papilionoidea; Lycaenidae; Theclinae; Jalmenus
According to Eliot (1973) Jalmenus belongs in the tribe Zesiini, section Jalmenus; however, a recent molecular analysis of the Lycaenidae (Pierce et al. unpublished data) suggests that Jalmenus is misplaced in Zesiini.
References cited:
Eliot, J. N. (1973) The higher classification of the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera): an thetative arrangement. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 28: 371-516, pl.6.
Pierce, N. E. et al. (unpublished data) Combined molecular and morphological phylogeny of the Lycaenoidea.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Functional Adaptations
Functional adaptation
The pupae of blue butterflies attract protective ants by rubbing together teeth-like projections on their bodies to create vibrations.
"The pupa of the Australian blue butterfly (Jalmenus evagorus) uses vibration to attract ants, whose presence deters would-be predators. In turn, the ants drink the sweet-tasting fluid secreted by the pupa. In 2000, Harvard University researchers Dr. Mark Travassos and Dr. Naomi Pierce revealed that the pupa attracts the ants by rubbing together a series of closely aligned teeth-like projections on its body, vibrating the branch to which it is attached. Alerted by the vibrations, nearby ants run to the pupa to feast on the fluid." (Shuker 2001:36)
Watch video
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Shuker, KPN. 2001. The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature. London: Marshall Editions Ltd. 240 p.
- Pierce, Naomi E. 2001. Peeling the onion: symbioses between ants and blue butterflies. In: Dugatkin, L.A., editors. Model systems in behavioral ecology. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
© The Biomimicry Institute
Source:
AskNature
Trusted
Physiology and Cell Biology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Barcode data: Jalmenus evagoras
There are 7 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
-- end --
Download FASTA File
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Jalmenus evagoras
Public Records: 7
Species: 9
Species With Barcodes: 1
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Conservation
Trends
Conservation
J. evagoras is not of conservation concern. It thrives in areas disturbed by anthropogenic activities and after fires where it breeds on the regrowth Acacia trees. Its congenor, Jalmenus eubulus, previously considered a subspecies of J. evagoras is confined to the Brigalow Belt in southern Queensland were it is regarded as Threatened under IUCN criteria (Eastwood et al. in review).
References cited:
Eastwood, R., Braby, M. F., Schmidt, D. and Hughes, J. M. (in review) Taxonomy, ecology, genetics and conservation status of the Pale Imperial Hairstreak Jalmenus eubulus Miskin, 1876 stat. rev. (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): a threatened butterfly from the brigalow belt. Invertebrate Systematics
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Threats
Culture
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Wikipedia
Jalmenus evagoras
The Imperial Hairstreak or Common Imperial Blue (Jalmenus evagoras) is a small-sized butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. [1] It is found in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
Jalmenus eubulus was formerly considered a subspecies of Jalmenus evagoras.
The wingspan is about 40 mm.
The larvae feed on a various Acacia species, including Acacia falcata and Acacia spectabilis.[2]
The Caterpillars are attended by the ant species Iridomyrmex anceps and Iridomyrmex rufoniger.
Gallery
Egg
Eggs
Larva
Pre-Pupa
Pupae tended by ants
Jalmenus evagoras, dorsal view
Female
Male
References
- ^ "2. Jalmenus evagoras (Donovan)". Australian Insect Common Names. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia). 19 September 2004. http://www.ento.csiro.au/aicn/name_s/b_2163.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ^ A. Wells, W. W. K. Houston (2001). Hesperioidea, Papilionoidea. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. pp. 264. ISBN 0-643-06700-0. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=iVHDuVVelGMC&pg=PA264&lpg=PA264&dq=%22Acacia+falcata%22+lepidoptera&source=bl&ots=sa7IoHw9gq&sig=Ta1A5hn4iuesSgGDLqRzmU7e9nw&hl=en&ei=gsFLTvrcNY_ViALywoWgAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22Acacia%20falcata%22%20lepidoptera&f=false.
Source:
Wikipedia
Unreviewed
References and More Information
Editor's Links
- Pierce lab, Harvard University: List of scientific publications on Jalmenus evagoras (many with downloadable PDF files).
- Jalmenus evagoras page by David Nash: Good description of life history and larval morphology - accurate
- UTS Jalmenus evagoras Page: Pictures of adults and early stages. Descriptions mostly accurate but some data out of date. Links to other pages.
- Geocities Jalmenus evagoras Page: Pictures of adults and early stages around Brisbane, Qld. Descriptions of life history and speculation on ant associations and predator avoidance.
Rod Eastwood
Trusted
Disclaimer
EOL content is automatically assembled from many different content providers. As a result, from time to time you may find pages on EOL that are confusing.
To request an improvement, please leave a comment on the page. Thank you!
